This invention relates to an apparatus for drawing a drop of blood, especially from a person's finger. The apparatus is designed primarily for use in a home monitoring program.
In the past, patients such as diabetics on home monitoring programs faced a daily trauma of extracting blood by jabbing a finger with a lancet. This chore was accompanied by considerable anticipation of agony--an anticipation often fulfilled. Attempts to resolve the problem by providing spring loaded finger pricking mechanisms which must be cocked and released are not without drawbacks.
First, these spring loaded trigger mechanisms tend to be of relatively complex construction. These mechanisms are operated by cocking a spring which is in cooperation with a lancet, latching the spring, and then releasing it. The working order of the mechanism is limited by that of the spring, the latch, and any other parts incorporated therein.
Further, complex spring mechanisms translate into high initial costs for consumers, in addition to potential replacement costs resulting from worn out parts. An although attempts have been made to simplify spring mechanisms to curb consumer costs, these attempts have failed to yield a product which is non-traumatic (i.e. not emotionally stressful) to use as well as inexpensive.
Thus, there presently exists a need for a finger pricking apparatus which is simple, quick and nontraumatic to use, and simple to construct, and there exists a need for an efficient method of use for such an apparatus. There also exists a need for a convenient method for adjusting needle penetration.